RIP Reads 2,3,4,5,6: Spooky Chapter Books Galore

I couldn't tell you why we so enjoy reading perilous chapter books during this season but it's definitely a pleasure that we find no guilt in. There's something about a spooky chapter book that is simple and frightening at the same time and these tales sometimes inspire more emotion than some of their complex adult counterparts.

Since this is our third year of reading an Eva Ibbotson ghost story during the RIP season, I think Z and I have firmly established a fall bedtime reading tradition. This time is was The Beasts of Clawstone Castle, a relatively recent book from 2006. It's the story of an elderly brother and sister who are trying to keep their family home (castle, really) from being bulldozed, their unique herd of white cattle from being displaced from their safe grazing grounds and the entire beautiful property from becoming a large tract of low-cost homes. Their young niece and nephew come to stay and come up with the idea that the only way to save the castle is to get a few terrible ghosts to come and turn the quiet home into a haunted abode to attract more tourist dollars. The plan seems to be working properly until some government-types come and tell them that the herd of cattle is infected with a highly contagious disease.

While full of ghosts and dastardly neighbors and castles, the most frightening and grotesque thing in this story was definitely the animal abuse. It is obvious what Ibbotson's feelings were about the handling of the British "mad cow" outbreak of 1996. But, while I think it's important to bring attention to the wanton disposal of living creatures, I'm not sure that an actual description of killing cattle with a bolt gun was necessarily a good choice for a children's book. Still, we really enjoyed this story and were once again enchanted by Ibbotson and her weaving of the modern world and all of its amenities with the ghosts of prior generations and a thread of social conscience.

On my own, I read another Ibbotson book, Which Witch?, during the read-a-thon. I decided that Z might not be completely interested in a marriage contest between witches, vying for the hand of a dark wizard. But after reading it, I can't see any reason why he wouldn't like it. It's an amusing story with lots of bizarre characters and some fun creatures.

In this book, Ibbotson has a lot of fun and doesn't really tackle any heavy issues (though there are a couple of dark magic scenes). I do wish that, as this book was published in 1979, I had found a copy of it in my childhood library. Unfortunately, my library was lacking when it came to British children's fiction (not surprising in a Los Angeles suburb in the 1980s). I do think I will try and get Z to read it sometime or maybe we can use it as our Ibbotson read next year. There are no ghosts in it but I'm sure I can get his attention with a baby kraken.

I finally picked up Greenwitch, the third book in Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series. By bringing together Simon, Jane and Barney from the first book and Will Stanton from the second, along with Uncle Merry and a trip back to the fishing town of Trewissick, this was a quick and exciting read about the fight between the forces of good and evil. I think I will read the final two books this winter.

I enjoyed a reread of Coraline during the read-a-thon as well. I had only read the story once before, slightly before the movie version was released in 2009. It was also my first Gaiman novel, read after working through the Fragile Things short story collection but before I was completely familiar and comfortable with Gaiman's prose. Reading this book again as a true fan was a much more meaningful and enjoyable experience. I adore this story. I love the movie as well but I still do wish it had been more faithful to the original.

Finally, Z and I read Roald Dahl's The Witches together but you're going to have to wait until Halloween to read our thoughts on it over at The Estella Society as it was also a Top 100 Chapter Books selection.

Enjoying another spook-filled season,
K and Z

Dragonslayers and Quarkbeasts

Jasper Fforde is, in my opinion, an author for which rereads are pretty much a prerequisite before moving on in a series when it has been a while since the last read. His complex worlds can always reveal more on a reread and there is no exception for this series, Fforde's first middle grade/YA outing. I first read The Last Dragonslayer in 2011 and thought it was very good but maybe not quite as satisfying as his adult novels, mainly due to the lack of complex wordplay and historical reference. But this didn't mean that it was not still a smart story and that's what I found again this time through. From the brave and imaginative Jennifer Strange to her unique Quarkbeast to the enigmatic dragon Maltcassion, there were a lot of fantastic characters that I remembered and was happy to meet again. But the parts I didn't remember as well--governmental corruption, rival wizards and the Transient Moose--ended up being both amusing and essential bits that tied nicely into ...

The Song of the Quarkbeast (out in September in the U.S.). This story picks up right after the first, weeks after Jennifer Strange has played her role as the Last Dragonslayer. Things aren't all magically rosy in Hereford even though magic is slowly gaining in strength again. But with rival factions of wizards fighting for government contracts and the same ridiculously corrupt king in power, Jennifer is going to have to do a lot more than just fulfill her destiny to save her friends (and even her enemies).

This is such an incredibly fun and unique series. Like I said after I read the first book, this isn't necessarily a youth series except for the age of the protagonist. The story is pretty complex, as are the personal relationships. I have yet to dislike a Fforde series (as you may have noticed) but this is probably my second favorite after the Thursday Next books. They stretch my imagination and have a plethora of moral and physical conundrums that have me already awaiting the third book -- and the requisite rereads of these two!

Feeling the magic,
K

New Release: The 13-Story Treehouse

For the first time, Z has read an entire book to me at bedtime -- The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton. This amusing illustrated novel out of Australia is full of penguins, monkeys, catnarys (you'll have to read to find out about them!), a sea monster and even a giant gorilla. And who could ever resist a treehouse with every awesome feature imaginable?

The trailer can do much better than I can to show you all that this book (and treehouse) has to offer --


Z absolutely loved this book, sometimes reading me three chapters a night! We laughed out loud constantly and had a fun time following the increasingly ridiculous plot. And though there was a bit of burping (and a brief monkey poo mention), this book managed to be funny without resorting to over-the-top bathroom humor as so many other series seem to do these days. And apparently there will be a sequel next year -- The 26-Story Treehouse!
Dreaming of marshmallow machines, K and Z

DWJ March: Books I Read This Month

The blog has been so busy this month that I haven't had time to share what I've been reading but rest assured that I've made the most of this event. I read the two read-along books, of course -- Howl's Moving Castle and A Tale of Time City. I also read Spellbound: Fantasy Stories Chosen by Diana Wynne Jones and about half of Reflections: On the Magic of Writing. I'm going to read the rest slowly, to savor the special experience of learning from Diana. There's so much to absorb that I don't want to rush through it. Finally, I read three more novels for the first time each --

Archer's Goon was fantastic. I loved the twists and turns. Though the ending was Diana's standard quickly escalated and resolved type, I was able to follow for once. The parents were more complex than in many DWJ stories and were actually good people, though a bit cranky because of circumstance. It's definitely one that I'm going to find my own copy of to reread regularly.

Wild Robert was really short, more of a novella but it was a good story. It was another one that one wishes had been expanded into a bigger story but that also has value in its smaller form. It's got magic and history and the fate of a stately home. What could be more interesting?!

Power of Three was quite different in language and cadence and it took a little while to get used to. I loved the way it built up though and connected fantasy and reality. I also enjoyed the friendships and sibling relationships. This is definitely one that I want to read again though, especially as I had to read it on my iPhone since, in a rare fail, my library system didn't have a hard copy of it. It was hard to read it in long stretches and I got distracted by the high page count. E-books are still not really my thing, I guess!

I have just a few DWJ books left to read for the first time: the four Dalemark books, Deep Secret and The Merlin Conspiracy, A Sudden Wild Magic, Hexwood, Unexpected Magics and The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. There's also a new collection of stories out -- Vile Visitors that I'll have to pick up that I think collects a few of her earlier works. It'll be a sad day when I'm done with all of these.

If I haven't heard from you yet, tell me which DWJ book(s) you read this month. How was your  reading experience?

Exploring new magic and adventures,
K

DWJ March: Review of Spellbound

It turns out that the first book I finished for Diana Wynne Jones Month wasn't even written by her except for one short story at the end. It was Spellbound, a selection of fantasy tales "chosen by Diana" that I picked up at Half Price Books a couple of years ago simply because her name was on it. With eighteen short stories or excerpts of books from Rudyard Kipling, Eva Ibbotson, L. Frank Baum, E. Nesbit, Tove Janssen, Patricia C. Wrede, Joan Aiken and more, these stories were apparently chosen by Diana as the best of fantasy (in her opinion, of course). Unfortunately, there is no foreword or afterword talking about why she chose these particular stories, although one gets the gist of it after a while. As you read, you start seeing echoes of Howl's Moving Castle and Castle in the Sky and The Ogre Downstairs and Witch's Business and so many more of her stories and you realize that Diana's broad selection of fantasy tales were all written because they were subjects and ideas that she loved. Diana's story in this collection, "What the Cat Told Me" seems to bear the seeds of Earwig and the Witch and I loved it.

I didn't think there was a dud in the bunch (well, maybe that one based on Spenser's The Faerie Queene) except for the poor production quality of the book. It has a gorgeous cover and nice paper and, well, extra sentences and also some missing ones. For some reason, in more than one place in the book, one or two sentences are repeated. It's confusing the first time it happens and annoying the next few times. As for the missing paragraph or possibly page, that was really unfortunate. If this book had better editing and an informative foreword, I would recommend it unreservedly. My TBR has once again grown by leaps and bounds. I finally found out who the Moomins are, I immediately wanted to re-read The Silver Chair, I decided on Which Witch? for Z and my RIP read-aloud this year and I've lamented never reading Five Children and It.

There is one personal statement from Diana at the start of the excerpt from The Seven Towers by Patricia C. Wrede --

I know it is annoying to be given only the start of a story, but it is a long book and I did want to introduce you to my favorite sorceress. Here she is at her most typical.

If that isn't reason enough to pick up Wrede's book immediately, I don't know what is.

So, if you want an insight into Diana's taste in fantasy (though you likely already know it from her own work) and don't mind some wonky editing, see if you can find a copy of this book.

Learning more from my favorite witch,
K

New Release: Why is Milk White? & 200 Other Curious Chemistry Questions

With questions by a curious teen and answers from a real-life chemist, Why is Milk White? & 200 Other Curious Chemistry Questions by Alexa Coelho and Simon Quellen Field is a great resource for inquiry-minded children and hopefully a nudge in the right direction for those who are on the fence about science. Appropriate for ages 8-9 and older, this book introduces kids to the building blocks of chemistry through questions in categories like "People and Animals", "Household Chemistry" and "Things That Stink". There are also molecular diagrams and some experiments to investigate certain topics further.

As parents with science degrees (zoology for me and physics/math for him), we're always injecting a bit of science into Z's life and trying to instill in him a curiosity about how things work. Between the two of us, we have answers for how/why many things work but we don't always know which questions will trigger his interest and imagination. A book like this is fantastic in its variety as there should be something that appeals to almost every child. And since STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) jobs are on the rise and are some of the highest paying jobs out there, it can't hurt to see if your kid has an aptitude for biochemistry, materials science or another of the wide variety of science fields out there. And, of course, there's a good chance that parents/educators will learn something new from this book too! (I learned things I didn't know about moisturizers and hydrogen peroxide.)

Investigating the world's mysteries together,
K and Z

Great African-Americans Past and Present

I would love it if you would head over to The Estella Society today and read my post on Christopher Paul Curtis' The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963. It's a wonderfully vivid chapter book focusing on a turbulent time for African-Americans that is a must-read for all ages. Here, I'll introduce you to two fab picture books.

Written by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld, What Color is My World? The Lost History of African-American Inventors is a picture book that links a modern-day family's everyday life with oft-ignored scientists and inventors. Ella and Herbie (fantastic jazz names!) are twins who are moving into a new home that isn't so new after all -- in fact, it's somewhat shabby. They complain a bit about the house before meeting handyman Mr. Mital, who is left in charge of them while their mom goes out to run errands. Mr. Mital is not only handy but is a font of knowledge about African-American inventors. The kids come to appreciate how difficult it was for inventors and innovators of color (and also for women and younger inventors) and we get quite a few fantastic examples of pioneers, both historical and those who are making technological advances in our world today.

Just like the twins, before Mr. Mital's lectures, I could have named just one African-American inventor, George Washington Carver. But now I know more about these remarkable men (and women) and the hardships that they endured simply because of the color of their skin. They were denied educations, were passed over for jobs and so much more. But they persevered, sometimes even using a white front-man to ensure their important discoveries were used and shared. The story that stuck with me the most was probably that of Dr. Percy Julian who fought to become a chemist, eventually having to leave the U.S. and study in Europe because of prejudice against him. When he returned, he began his research on synthesizing drugs, including finding a cheaper way to produce cortisone from soy plants. Dr. Julian sadly died the day before I was born in 1975.

RIF (Reading is Fundamental) has free downloadable teaching guides and activities on their blog that pair with this book but even sitting down and simply reading this book with your children or students will hopefully make a difference in how they view the scientific and technological contributions of African-Americans.

I first saw this book at the airport in Honolulu last year but didn't get a chance to look at it. But, having spent a few years of my childhood in Hawaii just like President Obama did (same island, different part), my curiosity finally got the best of me and I got a copy of A President From Hawai'i by Dr. Terry Carolan and Joanna Carolan. This colorful book is a collection of quotes from Obama's pre-Presidential days, some Hawaiian history, lore and language, and photos of the President as a young man and an adult on the islands. It's a fun little book that highlights important Hawaiian values and customs. In fact, it is more a book about Hawaii than about the President but that's okay. With intricate paper cut illustrations by Elizabeth Zunon, this would be a great book to give to kids before a trip to Hawaii or just as something to brighten up a dreary midwinter day.

"... when you come from Hawaii, you start understanding that what's on the surface, what people look like, that doesn't determine who they are." -- Barack Obama, Honolulu, 8/8/08

Respecting those who came before,
K and Z

New Release: Horten's Incredible Illusions

Sequel to Lissa Evans' Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms, Horten's Incredible Illusions takes all of the best parts of the first book and adds a bit more magic to produce a story that Z and I really enjoyed. In the first book, Stuart Horten (with the "help" of April, one of the nosy triplets next door) followed clues to find the secret workshop of his Great Uncle Tony, an illusionist/magician who disappeared years before. Now, after discovering a treasure trove of complex illusions, Stuart and April want to find out how each one works and to reveal the secrets held within.

Z and I were a bit thrown at the end of the first book when the "magic" seemed to come out of nowhere. But since we were prepared for it this time, it was exciting and fun. The different illusions were unique and Z had a blast solving the puzzles. The growing friendship between April and Stuart was also fantastic. I thought it was a great example for Z as he starts developing closer friendships ... yes, even with girls. Overall, I think this is a great pair of books for kids from about 8-12 who enjoy adventure and magic.

Seeing through the illusions,

K and Z

A Week of Gift Ideas: For The Littlest Ones

This week, I want to share some of the books we're giving as gifts this year to various friends and family members (that hopefully don't read this blog!). First up are a pair of gorgeous board books for toddlers and preschoolers. These are going to a 2 1/2 year old boy but we will probably buy another set for a 1 year old.

If you don't know about Steve Jenkins, you're missing out on some of the best non-fiction picture books for kids. Now he has illustrated two new board books for the American Museum of Natural History.

1-2-3 Dinosaurs Bite! A Prehistoric Counting Book is, obviously, a counting book. It has bites out of the pages which kids always seem to love. But adults will love that pronunciations are included for the dinosaur names. Microraptor seems easy enough but when you hit Dilophosaurus [dye-LO-fuh-SAW-rus], you'll be a happier reader thanks to this feature. I wish the book was a full ten dinosaurs though. It only features five species and then it speeds through the rest of the numbers. Of course, I've forgotten about short attention spans and this book is probably just the right length for young listeners.

Spot the Animals: A Lift-the-Flap Book of Colors matches up animals and colors in an ever-popular lift-the flap format. These are sturdy board book flaps (actually just double-sized pages that fold out) which make the book perfect for little hands. I guarantee these aren't going to tear off! The colors are bright but not garish. And, as you can see peeking out from the front cover, it features Z's favorite snake, the emerald tree boa.

When these two books arrived in the house, Z immediately grabbed them. I had to actually ask him to stop looking at them after a while so that they would still be in gift condition. With gorgeous art and a little bit of learning, these would be perfect for most little readers and pre-readers.

Still finding a way to buy board books,
K

How DWJ Saved the Day

I meant this book--The Ogre Downstairs--to be an RIP read but it just didn't fit in the category well enough. What it did end up being though was a sanity saver. I got the call around noon on September 13th that my younger sister's husband had been killed in a motorcycle accident, my sister that was seven months pregnant with her 4th child (and is now due in four weeks). I had to take an immediate flight down to California and I needed the right read to take with me -- something to keep me from bursting into tears on the plane, something to distract me from worrying about my own family that I was leaving behind. I ended up reading two thirds of this book on the way down and finished it on the way back. Diana Wynne Jones was, as expected, the perfect companion during a rough time.

The ogre in this book is one of the most terrifying creatures in the world -- a stepdad. And apparently step-brothers aren't the best either, at least that's what Caspar, Johnny and Gwinny think. Mr. McIntyre likes to bark orders up the stairs and is constantly yelling at the kids to be quiet, hence the nickname "The Ogre". But one day, he brings home chemistry sets for his son Malcolm and for Johnny that turn out to be anything but standard. Is the magic that's unleashed the kind that will destroy everything or could it possibly be the kind that could bring this blended family together?

I loved this book and I don't think it was just the timing. This isn't your typical DWJ fantasy and the magic is secondary to the family dynamics. But the book just felt so honest and real that I couldn't help becoming completely invested in the lives of these kids. I felt their elation at discovering magic, their exasperation at being constantly scolded, their slow changes of opinion as their step-family's true natures were revealed. But most of all, this story got me through a terrible weekend and I'll always be thankful for that.

Feeling the magic of DWJ,
K

RIP Read #14: The Dark is Rising (Book v. Movie)

Today is the Top 100 Chapter Books discussion for The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper over at The Estella Society so head on over there if you have read this book or any of the series. I would love to hear your thoughts on it!

Without any reservations, I thought this book (and the one before it in the series, Under Sea, Over Stone) were awesome. They're exciting adventures with real heft, history and consequence. So, I also decided to watch the recent film version of this, The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (2007), even though it had terrible reviews and fans of the book universally despised it.

I have to say, that as a film on its own, it wasn't awful. It was your standard Hollywood kid adventure film with a bit of goofiness (kind of like the recent Disney Jules Verne-based films) where the kid hero's hormones usually get the best of him. But as an interpretation of the book, it was absolutely dreadful. One critical blog post was called The Dark is Sinking. Here is a bit from it --

During filming in Bucharest, Romania there was a joke on The Dark is Rising set that only three things have been changed from the original 1973 novel: the nationality of lead character Will Stanton, changed from English to American; his age changed from 11 to 13; and everything else that happens in the story. A solo quest by an 11-year-old is no longer solo; family values have been deemed out of date — the happy, loving Stanton family rewritten dysfunctional; a series of five books bereft of a single love interest has been re-imagined with the lead character chasing the fairer sex, pleading in the trailer “I can't save the world! I don't even know how to talk to a girl!” Angered, disgusted fans are reporting little interest in their hero’s new, most ordinary of plights.

The title of the article in The Guardian was The Dark is Rising, so avoid it if you can where they complain about the removal of most of the pagan lore with no added explanation of why any of these mysterious things would then be happening in the world. And Susan Cooper's own interview with NPR (Author 'Uncertain' About 'Dark' Leap to Big Screen) is quite depressing when she attempts to defend Will's age and circumstances from the book against the screenwriter's complaints.

After watching the film, I have to completely agree with critics and book fans alike. Even from the very first moments of this film, you know it is not what it should/could have been. With cheesy effects, a total miscasting of most of the characters (except for Chris Eccleston as the super baddie who is creepy and intimidating but still, sadly, out of place) and a complete change of Will's temperament, this film lost the soul of Cooper's story. It also didn't make much sense to still have a villain on horseback when the setting was brought forward to modern times. And it was a WHITE horse! How can the villain be on a white horse? Not to mention that by stripping out the pagan signs and lore and turning Will into a savior completely undermined the point of the story. The fight between Light and Dark on earth is older than Christianity. That was one of Cooper's main themes.

Verdict: Blech. There's nothing really wrong with the film as a film so I don't want to say avoid it but the book is SO much better. It has meaning and integrity and depth. The film has none of those things. Eh, I'm going to say it. Read the book, avoid the film.

Depressed by Hollywood's lack of soul,
K

RIP VII Read #13: Dial-a-Ghost

Z and I did read one book together for RIP this year -- Dial-a-Ghost by Eva Ibbotson. This book was similar in theme to The Great Ghost Rescue which we read last year but it was different enough that we had fun anyway!

Z would like to tell you about this book so here he is --

The book is about this boy called Oliver Smith who goes to Helton Hall but gets bullied by Fulton & Frieda Snodde-Brittle. Fulton asks Dial-a-Ghost Agency for scary ghosts for scaring Oliver to death but the Wilkinsons showed up instead. The Wilkinsons are friendly ghosts who wanna protect Oliver. The Shriekers were the original choice to go to Helton. The Shriekers were scarier!

I thought the book was funny but scary at the middle. My favorite character was the pet budgie because he was kinda stupid. The book made me believe in ghosts!

Sharing the spooky reads,
K and Z

Kidlit Trio: The Traveling Restaurant, Origami Yoda and How to Train Your Dragon

Z and I read The Traveling Restaurant: Jasper's Voyage in Three Parts by Barbara Else as a bedtime story. It's a book out of New Zealand and it's quite unique. Jasper Ludlow is a relatable young boy, even as he's being pursued across seas, river and land by a corrupt ruler, pirates, seagulls and a reporter with questionable allegiance. The Traveling Restaurant itself is a boat that just might have a bit of magic onboard, even if it just helps them choose the right menu at each port of call. But in a world where "magic" is a forbidden word, it's enough to place its crew in danger -- and when the fugitive Jasper comes onboard, they're in for a wild ride.
While much of this adventure was exciting and unique, it started to get a bit repetitive toward the end and some of the writing was awkward and terse, especially as I was reading it aloud. Still, Z and I had some fun with this book.

A book that both of us highly enjoyed at bedtime was How to Train Your Dragon: The Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup the Viking by Cressida Cowell. We're huge fans of the film version (which could barely even be said to be loosely based on the book but it's amazing in its own right) and Z has owned the book for a while but I don't think he ever read it from back to front. But when we finally sat down together with it, we loved every minute with the inept but bright Hiccup and his friends. Even the vain and combative dragons were amusing in their own way. And the massive villainous dragons from the bottom of the ocean--The Green Death and The Purple Death--were amazing and unexpected. I hope that we can keep reading this series together (which looks like it's up to nine books now).

One that we didn't read together was The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger. I bought it for Z a few months ago but just finally got around to reading it for the 100 Chapter Book Read-Along. It turns out that it's perhaps still a bit older than Z is ready for. I don't think he is ready to understand the angst of school dances, the cliques that form in the lunchroom or the strange dynamics of upper grade friendships. Though third graders may want to pick up this book because of the fun cover, they'll probably just want to make their own origami Yoda (as Z did) until they have a bit more life experience.

I have to say that I'm appreciative that Z likes reading chapter books together before bed each night. It's a special time for the two of us and I'm glad we have it. I have to say that I'm also glad that we can find books to read together that we both enjoy!

Making the most of it all,
K

RIP VII Read #6: The Graveyard Book

Today I'll be discussing The Graveyard Book over at The Estella Society.

If you still  haven't read or listened to this one after all of the praise myself and others have heaped on it, maybe Neil himself can convince you that this is an amazing story. Head over to his website, Neil Gaiman's Mouse Circus to watch him read the book in its entirety and then answer questions from audiences around the country.

You can read my brief reviews from January 2009 (first read) and September 2010 (first listen) but they are probably inadequate in describing what a unique book this is, even though it is based on another story (Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book). Though it has a bleak start ("There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife"), the rest of the story is full of heart and brains. I can't wait another year or two until I read it with Z.

Always up for a good re-read,
K

p.s. Our next book for the Chapter Book Read-Along is The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. I just finished the first in the series, Over Sea, Under Stone, and it was really good. The two books aren't very long so please consider joining me!

RIP VII Read #2: The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall

A very middle grade ghost story, The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall (2010) was my first Mary Downing Hahn book and I hope her others are better as I hear good things about them. This is a short tale about an orphaned twelve-year old girl, Florence, who has finally been sent for by her Great-Uncle Thomas, who keeps a country home with his sister, Great-Aunt Eugenia, and his nephew James. But there is one other resident of the house, one with evil intentions, and that is James' dead sister Sophia.

Though this book was definitely creepy, I couldn't stand Florence's lack of willpower or her Aunt Eugenia's ridiculous prejudice against her. The characters were just too one-dimensional and I was disappointed that the female main character was so weak. I was actually kind of rooting for something bad to happen to her by the end, which I'm sure wasn't the author's intention.

If anyone could recommend a better MDH book to me, I would appreciate it! I'm willing to give her another chance.

More indignant than frightened,
K

Read-Along: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Head on over to The Estella Society today to discuss The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, the second book in the 100 Chapter Books Read-Along.

Next up is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, discussion on October 15th.

Folding a fortune,
K

Worth the Wait: The Wizard of Oz Discussion

It's finally here! Come join the discussion of The Wizard of Oz at The Estella Society.

There's no place like home,
K

Catching Up Through Quick Mentions

Yes, 'tis the time of year when I need to clean my review slate or I'm going to be tempted to just quit blogging. This stack has been sitting here too long, cluttering up my coffee table. A few of these books are from vacation and others have just been sitting here unreviewed for no particular reason. Anyway, here are some brief thoughts on five of our recent reads --

A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper

This novel was so much more than I expected it to be. I picked it up used a while back because of the mention of I Capture the Castle in one of the blurbs but then didn't read it for the same reason, the fear of disappointment and all of that. Luckily, some other bloggers have been reading it lately and giving it great reviews so I took it on vacation and it was an entertaining and exciting read! With a near-defunct island kingdom, Nazis and a possible romance, all from the point of view of Sophia FitzOsborne through the pages of her journal, this is a coming-of-age story like no other. There are two other books in the series -- The FitzOsbornes in Exile (released in March) and The FitzOsbornes at War (coming in October). I will be getting both.

The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl

One of my reading plans for the year was to re-read all of Matthew Pearl's novels and so I took his first one on my trip. I probably first read it around 2004 when the paperback came out so it has been a while and I had forgotten most of what happened in this suspenseful tale. It was even darker than I remembered with its descent into Dante's Inferno and a little bit rougher than Pearl's later works but I saw the same love for Boston that Pearl shows in his other novels. I felt like I had a better connection with the main characters--Longfellow, Holmes, Lowell and Fields--than I did the first time too. I'm excited to continue this journey this year!

The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones

This darkly comedic manor house story seems to be getting two kinds of reviews -- either readers love it or they thought they would love it but something just wasn't satisfying in the end. I was the second kind of reader. There were things that I really liked about the book and it had a lot of potential but, unfortunately, I saw straight to the big reveal fairly early in the story -- really, as soon as it was possible to suspect something. In fact, I thought it was going to be something even more interesting. When it wasn't, I was a bit let down. Still, I think this story is going to appeal to a lot of readers for its twists and turns and outrageous characters.

Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms by Lissa Evans

This is one that Z and I read together at bedtime and both of us really, really liked it. I would say loved but it got a little strange at the end and I think we weren't able to suspend our disbelief to the level Evans required. This was kind of weird because I'm normally a believer. But I think that the way the big reveal was presented was a bit sudden and we just weren't ready for it. Still, we got to be friends with young Stuart Horten and really enjoyed the treasure hunt aspect of the story. It appears that a sequel, Horten's Incredible Illusions, will be out in September and we can hardly wait for it!

Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones

Finally, I enjoyed another DWJ re-read while in Hawaii. I love this story. It has so many wonderful creatures and wizards and a really fun plot. Derk and his family are now some of my all-time favorite DWJ characters and, as I've said before and will probably say many more times, I wish Diana had been able to tell us more of the stories of this fun world. The Celebrate Diana Wynne Jones tumblr recently posted a link to a little author interview from when this book was first published.

Whew! All caught up and ready to share my amazing read with you next time.

Riding roughshod over all genre boundaries and review expectations,
K

Comfort Reads: Conrad's Fate and The Pinhoe Egg

I was feeling a tad stressed out while getting everything ready for our vacation and was having trouble concentrating on a new read so I turned to my friend Diana Wynne Jones for help. The only Chrestomanci volume that I hadn't reread recently was this one and so I grabbed it and immediately got lost in these wonderful stories about Christopher and Cat Chant. I loved these stories when I first read them so it was like visiting old friends. Conrad's Fate stood out for having so very many bad parents and guardians. The Pinhoe Egg explored the dark side of magic in the hands of the greedy and petty and, well, I think it might actually be my favorite Chrestomanci book. With great characters and a bit of romance, these stories were the perfect escape before my actual escape.

I have to admit to feeling quite sad though that there will be no more Chrestomanci tales. These characters and worlds are so rich that there must have been hundreds of stories waiting to be told, out there in the fictional ether. Sigh.

With a bit of magic and melancholy,
K

More Bedtime Tales With Z

I am amazed that Z and I are still reading together at bedtime! In fact, we read every single night or else he whines and complains, even after I've left the room. And, to be honest, I am loving almost every minute of it. Sometimes he's a bit squirrely and obviously still wound up from the day but he still doesn't want me to stop. Here are the last three books we read at bedtime --

I'm taking my time with this series because I think that some of the scenes are still a bit intense for Z (he's eight in just under a month). So, we finally picked up Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and he seemed to really like all of it except for the actual basilisk fight scene. I think there was a bit too much blood for him. And yet, when we finished, he immediately asked if we had Prisoner of Azkaban. I showed him that we did but told him that we might read a few other books first. I hope that the voices that I worked so hard to make consistent come back to me when we pick it up!

As I promised, I read Earwig and the Witch with Z as his first DWJ read and he really liked it! I'm itching to read another one of her books with him. I just have to decide which one would be best -- maybe Enchanted Glass or Castle in the Air. And, on second read, I felt even more that this was going to be the start of a series. If I was a writer, I might try my hand at the further adventures of Earwig!

The last book we finished was Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes. I had never read this one before so it was fun for me too. It's a collection of classic fairy tales--Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, etc.--told in verse form and with slight twists that make them have less-than-happy endings. I don't know that any of them were revolting per se but some of them were kind of funny. Others were just strange. Z and I both seemed to find it to be a hit-or-miss volume. But, we liked it enough to continue on with Roald Dahl and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as our next bedtime read.

Having a new adventure every night,
K and Z